Burial caskets traditionally comprise a shell to which is pivoted a cap or lid. During viewing of the deceased in the casket, the cap is, of course, pivoted to its open position to permit relatives, loved ones, acquaintances and the like to view the deceased. During this time the underside of the cap is visible. It is thus desirable to trim the underside of the cap with decorative trim. This has traditionally been accomplished with the installation of a so-called dish assembly into the underside of the cap.
The traditional dish assembly has taken the form of a rectangular cap panel having two long sides and two short sides, with a puffing board or panel or member being attached to each of the four sides with staples. The puffing boards, typically fabricated of a relatively stiff yet flexible substrate, such as chip board, are covered with decorative fabric. The cap panel is positioned in the casket cap atop a stand-off, itself positioned in the cap, or atop a ridge or groove forming a part of the cap. The free edges of the puffing members are retained in a peripheral groove in the casket cap near the peripheral edge of the cap. The puffing members are so sized as to require them to assume a convex, quarter-round shape with their free edges retained in the peripheral groove. A rectangular cap panel insert, including decorative embroidery or the like, may be removably installed between the four puffing members and in juxtaposition relative to the cap panel. The cap panel insert may be retained by the four puffing members by friction; alternatively, various means may be provided to secure the cap panel insert into the dish assembly, for example, hook and loop-type fasteners.
Mitered corners are formed at adjacent ends of the puffing members. The mitered corners may either be formed by simply overlapping the adjacent puffing member ends or by stapling the adjacent ends together. One example of overlapped, mitered corners is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,608, whereas one example of staple, mitered corners is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,824. A third technique involving folding one puffing member end, overlapping the puffing member ends and stapling the puffing member ends is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,247. All three of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth in their entirety.
It is desirable to continue efforts and make further progress in the areas of simplifying fabrication, reducing manufacturing costs, and increasing the aesthetic qualities of casket interiors, and in particular dish assemblies for casket caps.
Burial caskets customarily include a locking mechanism on the casket shell, that, when actuated after closing the cap on the shell, holds the cap firmly and securely against the shell. In a funeral home, at the conclusion of a visitation, is it customary for the funeral director to close and lock the casket lid with a locking crank which includes a locking mechanism actuating key thereon. The casket lid may be locked closed for a specified number of years for public health reasons, which also gives comfort and solace to the family and loved ones of the deceased. Once the casket is locked, a common industry practice is for the funeral director to present the casket locking crank, normally ornate in appearance, to the deceased's family or loved ones as a memorial or keepsake of the service and the deceased.
It is desirable to continue efforts and make further progress in the area of memorialization of the deceased, and in particular increasing the quality of the memorial service for the loved ones as well as providing products and services that aid in the memorialization process.